Wall-bed-concealing means



Oct-

A. C. WHEELOCK WALL BED CONCEALING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet.

Filed March 10 1923 mock 1 My ATTORNEY.

INVENTOR, A 6 W/Z Oct. 28 192%,

A. c. WHEELOCK WALL BED CONCEALING MEANS Filed March 10, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

no 9 INVENTOR.

A. c. WHEELQGK Patented Get. 28, l2 la ARTHUR C. WHEELOCK, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB, 'IO CALIFORNIA. WALL BED COMPANY, 01 SAN FRANCISCQ, CALIFORNIA, A. CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

WALL-BED-CONCEALING MEANS.

Application filed March 10, 1923. Serial No.. 624,124.

To all whom it may concern Be it: known that I, ARTHUR C. THEE- LOCK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oakland, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented new and useful \Vall-Bed-Concealing Means, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a wall bed of the vertically foldable type adapted to be swung horizontally into and out of a recess, and relates more particularly to the means for concealing the bed when it is disposed in the recess.

An object of the invention is to provide means, in connection with a wall bed of the type described, which will render indistinguishable to a casual observer, the recess closure from the solid wall, when the bed is in concealed position.

Another object is to provide means of the character described which in Iconformity with the wall containing the bed recess, includes as an essential part, a type of universally used ornamental devices capable of being carried out in a wide range of plain and highly decorative effects.

The'invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing vmade by the said drawings and description,

as I may adopt variations of the preferred formwithin the scope of my'invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a room showing the wall and panel behind which the bed is concealed.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figures d and 5 are enlarged fragmentary vertical sections of the wall and door taken respectively on the lines 4-4: and 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of adjacent ends of the panel and wall when the former is in closed position.

'By far the greater number of wall beds in use at the present are of the type which are foldable on a horizontal axis and are adapted in folded posture to be swung on a vertical pivot from the room into a closet or from the closet into the room. The opening in the wall through which the bed moves when swung into or out of the r0om,-is usually engaged by a door or panel so that the closet may be closed and the bed thereby concealed when arranged therein, the bed being in some instances mounted on the door and in other instances pivotally supported independently thereof. In practically all cases however the door or panel which is associated with the bed, is of necessity made larger than the usual door; therefore although the bed may be concealed within the closet, the unusual size of the door invariably arrests the attention of any person in the room and suggests to him that a wall bed is hidden behind the door and that the room is probably utilized as a sleeping chamber. To eliminate the foregoing disadvantage, in a number of insta'nces'the door or panel has been formed to appear as double doors. This however is not always satisfactory, as the room may present too many doors and the arrangement of the furniture is apt to appear awkward; frequently also the panel is of a size rendering it impractical to be formed to appear as double doors of normal size. However, in accordance with my invention, by means of a coordination of the exterior ornamentation of the panel and the walls of the room, and in cooperation of juxtapositioned parts of said ornamentation, the panel or door is made to appear as a continuous portion of the wall when the bed reposes in the closet. In this manner the size of the door matters very little, and not only can the bed be fully concealed, but no hint or suggestion will be afiorded as to the possibility that the room contains a concealed bed.

As illustrated in the drawings the wall 2 of the room 3 is provided with an opening 4 which leads to the closet or recess 6 into or from which'the bed 7 is moved to conceal it or place it in the room. In the present form of the invention the bed 7 is mounted on the door or panel 8 which is adapted to close the opening 4. The panel is adapted to be swung on a vertical pivot 9 which is positioned intermediate the edges 10 and 11 of the panel and lies adjacent one side 12 of the opening, The bed is arranged on what is normally the rear side 13 of the door and includes a frame M which is pivotally attached to brackets 15 that are fixed to the panel, in this manner the ed frame may be readily lowered to a horizontal operative position or raised from such position to a perpendicular inoperative one.

By referring more particularly to Figure 1 it will be noted that the wall 2 is de rated or ornamented with the well lrnox panelling, This generally comprises mold ing 16 arranged in various manners but most invariably including vertical bat 17 which may or may not be arranged equally spaced on the walls. Usually the molding extends upward from the baseheight depending on the taste board 18 to a of the designer, and in the present embodiment the molding terminates at the picture molding or head casing 19 which is positioned about six or seven feet above the floor. The front side 20 of the door is provided with vertical battens 21 matching the battens 1? of the wall. The door 8 is about five feet wide and in the preferred embodi ment the battens 17 and 21 are spaced equally and such distance apart as will cause a batten to occur at each edge of. the opening when the door is closed. The battens 22 and 23 which are adapted to lie at the opposite edges of the opening are attached respectively to the door and wall, that is, the strip 22 is attached to the edge 10 of the door and is arranged so that when the door is closed it will overlap the wall at the side 24 or" the opening, whereas, the strip 23 is secured to the wall at the other side 12 ot the opening and is arranged to overlap the edge ll'ot the door when the latter is closed. In the same manner plinths 32 and 38 are respectively secured to the edge 10 of the door and side 12 ot the opening anl arranged to overlap the wall and door. Thus it will be clear that the peculiar over lapping of the battens and plinths, coupled with the oil'set relation of the door pivot allows the door to readily swing so as to move the bed into or out of the closet, without exposing. an appreciable portion of the crack between the door and walls when the bed is concealed.

The head casing or picture molding 19 it will be noted runs practically even with the top of the opening, and as shown in l i gure 3, its exposed side is formed with a longitudinal groove 26 which lies opposite the top of the door. The portion 27 of the picture molding lying across the opening is severed both horizontally and vertically, the horizontal severance being along the groove while the vertical severance occurs at the ends of said portion below the groove. The lower section 28 of the portion 27 being thus free from the rest of the picture molding, is

attached to the door. Owing to the fact that the severance of the picture mold occurs at the base of said groove, one can readily conceive that while the door may be thus readily opened or closed, it is practically impossible for he casual observer to note the craclr when the door is closed.

In order also that the crack at the lower edge of the door will not readily be seen, I have provided a threshold across the opening which is faced at the front with a base shoe or other suitable molding 38. This latter molding is continued as molding 29 provided all around the room, thus alleviating any suspicion of the purpose of the molding 88,

The attractiveness of the general arrange ment is considerably enhanced by providing tapestry or decorative paper 34L between the molding both on the door and wall, the edges of the door being grooved as shown in Figure 6 so that the edges 35 of the paper may be neatly and effectively held. Furthermore by providing decorations on the rear side of the door to correspond with the front, a 3leasing effect is produced when the bed is swung into the room.

I claim:

1. The combination with a foldable bed adapted to swing through an opening in a walL of a panel adapted for closing said opening pivoted intermediate its vertica edges about a vertical axis and arranged to carry said bed on one side thereof, means extending along one of said edges of the panel adapted to overlap the wall at one side of said opening when the panel is in closed position, and means extending along the wall at the opposite side of said opening adapted to overlap the panel when the latter is in closed position.

2. The combination with a toldable bed adapted to swing through an opening in a wall, of a panel for closing said opening pivoted intermediate its vertical edges for movementabout a vertical axis adjacent one side of said opening, said bed being hung on one side of said panel, a molding provided on the wall and extending vertically along the side of the opening nearer the pivot and adapted to overlap the other side of the panel when the latter is in closed position, and a molding provided on said panel and extending along the vertical edge further from the pivot and adapted to overlap the wall at the other side of the opening when the panel is in closed position.

The combination with a toldable bed adapted to swing through an opening in a wall, mold members on one side of said wall torming panelling which extends upwardly and terminated substantially in line with the top of said opening, a swing panel carrying said bed on one side thereof and adapted to close said opening, said panel being pivoted intermediate its vertical edges adjacent one side of said opening for movement about a vertical axis and arranged in its closed position to have its other side flush with the decorated side of the Wall, molding corresponding to the first and fixed to the wall at the side of the opening nearer the pivotal axis of the panel, said latter molding extending in front of said opening substantially from the bottom to top thereof, and molding corresponding to other and fixed to said panel at the vertical edge furthest from the pivotal axis, said molding extending outwardly and from the bottom to the top of said panel whereby the crack between said panel and Wall at the other side of said opening Will be covered by the molding when the panel is in closed position.

4. The combination with a foldable bed adapted to swing through an opening in a Wall, oi a panel carrying said bed on one side thereof pivoted for movement about a vertical axis in said opening and adapted to close the latter parallel molding pieces provided respectively on the abutting edges of the panel and door, said pieces being adapted jointly to define a longitudinal depression of greater Width than the crack between said abutting edges When the panel is in closed position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Oakland, this 13th day of February, 1928.

ARTHUR O. WHEELO CK. 

